Textile machine construction



]Aug; 12, 1947.

M. F. THOMA TEXTILE MACHINE CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 29, 1944 I 1720572 for: Mina/elf 71202712 Patented Aug. 12, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TEXTILE MACHINE CONSTRUCTION Meinard F. Thoma, Fitchburg, Mass. Application September 29, 1944, Serial No. 556,307

4 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to an improved construction for textile machines, such as are commonly employed for the performance of spinning, twisting and similar operations.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction that will substantially eliminate the accumulation of fly, lint and other waste material resulting from the textile operation being performed by the machine, Accordin to the invention, theaccumulation of such waste material is substantially prevented by shielding or enclosing the individual parts of the machine in such manner as to reduce to a minimum the number of exposed parts upon which waste material can collect. Such shielding is also adapted to expedite the removal of any waste material that does collect by means of readily applied air currents along smooth surfaces'of the machine, thereby greatly reducing the time spent in cleaning the machine.

The machine of the present invention is also constructed so that operation thereof naturally tends to set up a circulation of air within the shielded portions of the machine, whereby to obtain a cooling efiect in the vicinity of moving machine parts where heat is being generated. Such air circulation is expedited by employing the normal tendency of cool air to be drawn from underneath the machine and to flow upwardly as it is heated by passage over the operating parts of the machine. The above and other advantageous features of my invention will hereinafter more fully appear from the following description, considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. l is a perspective view illustrating the application of the invention to a twisting machine, with certain parts broken away.

Fig. 2 is a view partially in section and partially in side elevation of a portion of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing a modified arrangement of the exhaust air duct from the machine.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the invention is shown for purposes of illustration as being incorporated in a textile machine of the type known as a twister or winder, in which the essential elements consist of a series of spools I supported on spindles 2, from which spools yarn, roving, or the like, is drawn for the performance of a twisting or other operation. After leaving the spools l,

the yarn A passes through a trough 3 containing a suitable treating liquid, from which the yarn emerges to pass between rolls 4 and then downwardly to a series of travellers 5 on a rail 5a before being wound into packages 6 ,on a series of rotatably driven spindles l, in a manner usual with the operation of such machinery.

As best shown in the upper portion of Fig. 3, the spindles 2 for the spools l are mounted so as to project in opposite directions from suitable frame members 8, and the openwork structure constituted by the frame members 8 is completely covered by a vertical shield 9 interposed between the frame members 8 and the spools I on each side of the machine. End shields l0 .and a top shield II are also provided, so that the entire spool stand is completely enclosed, except for the projecting spools I. Obviously, the spindles 2 could be attached directly to the shields 9, thereby eliminating the frame.

The several spindles 'l for winding the yarn packages 6 are adapted to be individually driven by belting l2 extending beneath frame members 8, and the entire driving mechanism for the spindles I is enclosed within shields l3 and I4 extending at right angles to each other. The end shields ID are extended below the spindles 'l, as indicated at Illa, to completely enclose the end frames of the machine, on which are mounted the rolls 4 and the rail So, so that the shield I4 provides a clear horizontal shelf extending between the shields Illa, immediately below the row of yarn packages 6.

A vertical shield l5 extends behind the spindles l on each side of the machine, and a second slightly inclined shield l6 extends from the outer edge of the trough 3 to the upper edge of the shield l5. Therefore, when the machine is viewed in perspective as in Fig. 1, the several shields 9, III, II and I3 to 16. inclusive, present a series of unbroken planes completely enclosing all parts of the machine except for the spools I, trough 3 and the yarn packages 6.

As previously pointed out, one of the objects of the present invention is to substantially eliminate the accumulation of fly, lint and other waste material resulting from the twisting operation, and it is evident from a consideration of Fig. 1 that the above described arrangement of shields obtains this result. Obviously, the vertical surfaces of the shields 9, Ill, [3 and i5 are unlikely to collect waste material to any appreciable exin any quantity. However, the shields l4 and I. can be very readily cleaned by directing a blast of air, as from an air jet J, along the corners formed by the junctions between the shields ll. II and I3, 3 respectively, as indicated in Fig. 1. It is also to be noted that a considerable amount of waste material from the spools I will be deposited in the trough 3, and will therefore be carried away by the circulation of the treating liquid in the trough.

' The machine illustrated in Fig. 1 has been operated without any substantial accumulation of waste material upon the continuous plane surfaces presented by the shield members. Furthermore, any waste material that may be present will be deposited where it may be quickly removed by air currents traversing the length of the machine, without necessitating any laborious cleaning operations such as have previously been necessary in the operation of textile machines presenting a great multiplicity of individual frame members and moving parts, each of which is capable of accumulating a deposit of waste material.

As indicated above, a further feature of the present invention resides in a machine construction so arranged that operation of the moving parts of the machine naturally tends to set up a circulation of air within the above-described shielded portions, whereby to obtain a cooling effect in the vicinity of parts where heat is being generated. Such .a circulation of air is illustrated diagrammatically in Figs. 2 and 3, in which certain portions are shown in section in order to better illustrate the relation between different parts of the machine.

As best shown in Fig. 2; the belt drive for the several spindles 1 is located beneath the shield l4, and the spindles are adapted to be driven in unison by an electric motor I! connected by belting I 8 to a drive shaft is. It is to be noted that the motor I! is completely enclosed within a casing 20 at one end of the machine, with the interior of the motor casing being in communication with a chamber 2! within the shields l3 and II.

As best shown in Fig. 3, the floor 22 beneath the chamber 2| is provided with a number of openings 23 for admitting air to the chamber 2| at a temperature considerably below the temperature of the room in which the machine is located. Preferably, the floor openings 23 are supplied with cool air from a suitable duct 24 extending lengthwise beneath the machine, with the direction of air flow being indicated by the arrows.

The cool air entering the floor openings 23 is delivered adjacent to the moving parts of the spindle drive where a considerable amount of heat is necessarily generated during the operation of the machine. In order to get rid of this heated air and to insure a continuous supply of cool air from the duct 24 to the chamber 2|, the motor casing 20 provides an exhaust duct 25 extending upwardly to a point just below the celling of the room in which the machine is operating, as shown in Fig. 2. Since the motor I! is provided with the usual fan 28, the operation of the driving motor I! will of itself set up a circulation of air from the chamber 2| into the motor casing 20 and thence upwardly into the duct 25. With the cool air entering the floor openings 23 being somewhat heated by its passage around the spindle drive, the circulation of air takes place readily, owing to the tendency of the heated air to flow upwardly from the motor casing 20 into the exhaust duct 25, The

heated air from the duct 25 may be delivered outside of the building by a fan 21, in the summer time, or the heated air may be employed to heat the b ding in the winter by mounting the fan 21 on e opposite side, as indicated in the fragmentary showing of Fig. 4.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that by the present invention there is provided an improved construction for textile machines characterized by the substantial elimination of any accumulations'oi fly. lint and other waste material resulting from the textile operations. Furthermore, the machine by reason of the above described construction is particularly adapted for operation in such manner that there i set up a circulation of air within the shielded portion of the machine to obtain a cooling effect in the vicinity of moving parts where heat is being generated. Therefore, by this circulation, heat generated by operation of the machine is dissipated in such manner as to lower the general operating temperature of the machine, as well as the temperature of the room in which the machine is located.

I claim:

. 1. A textile machine construction comprising a series of spindles for supporting packages of filamentary material such as roving, a second series of spindles, means for driving said second series of spindles for the formation of yarn packages thereon, means for causing the performance of a textile operation on said material, and shielding members presenting a series of unbroken planes completely enclosing all parts of the machine except for said spindles, the packages of material thereon and the means for performing the texe tile operation.

2. A textile machine construction comprising a series of spindles for supporting packages of filamentary material such as roving, a second series of spindles, means for driving said second series of spindles for the formation of yarn packages thereon, means for causing the performance of a textile operation on said material, and shielding members presenting a series of unbroken planes completely enclosing all parts of the machine except for said spindles, the packages of material thereon and the means for performing the textile operation, whereby any acculation of fly. lint and other waste material resulting from the textile operation is limited to the surfaces of said shielding members.

3. A textile machine construction comprising, a series of spindles for carrying packages of filamentary material, such as roving, means for supporting said spindles, a second series of spindles located below said first series, means for supporting and driving said second series of spindles for the formation of yarn packages thereon, means interposed between the two series of spindles for the performance of a textile operation on said material, and shielding members presenting contiguous plane surfaces extending continuously from the top to the bottom of said machine, adjacent to both sets of spindles and the interposed means for performing a textile operation, with said shielding members serving to receive waste material resulting from the textile operation to expedite its removal from the machine by air currents passing longitudinally of the machine.

' 4. A textile machine construction comprising, a series of spindles for carrying packages of filamentary material, such as roving, means for supporting saidspindles, a second series of spindles located below said first series, means for support- 5 ing and driving said second series of spindles for the formation of yarn packages thereon, means interposed between the two series of spindles for the performance of a textile operation on said material, shielding members presenting continguous plane surfaces extending continuously from the top to the bottom of said machine, adjacent to both sets of spindles and the interposed means for performing a textile operation, as well as between the second set of spindles and the means for supporting and driving the same, with said shielding members serving to receive waste material resulting from the spinning operation, and

means for drawing in cool air from beneath said 6 machine, within the area enclosed by said shielding members, to obtain a cooling effect in the vicinity of the driving means for said spindles. MEINARD F. 'rHoMA,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,391,135 Cotchett Dec. 18, 1945 

